Historical documentation shows that Apple commissioned the initial Apple-1 PCB layout from Howard Cantin in March 1976. From this work came the tan phenolic prototype board, sold by RR Auction in August 2022—an inexpensive test board that required extensive reworking to operate properly. After those issues were identified and corrected, Apple needed to confirm that the revised design functioned correctly when produced on a proper fiberglass PCB. The “Celebration” Apple-1 is that transitional board: the validation unit assembled before Apple built the first fifty machines for Paul Terrell’s Byte Shop order.
Its construction clearly distinguishes it from all other surviving Apple-1 computers. This board uses wave-soldered Robinson-Nugent sockets instead of the cheaper Texas Instruments sockets used on production boards, and it incorporates a unique mix of hand-soldered components sourced locally for testing rather than from Apple’s later standardized purchasing (e.g. two common silver Sprague 39D capacitors that were not computer-rated, but easily available at a radio repair shop).
The board carries a smaller, non-standard heatsink, and the voltage regulation area displays no evidence that the larger, production-style heatsink was ever installed. The board also contains a unique modification to the 74123 timing circuit used for DRAM refresh, consistent with the diagnosis of timing issues before full-scale production.
These characteristics demonstrate that the “Celebration” Apple-1 predates all Byte Shop boards and was never intended for retail sale. It embodies the moment of Apple's transition from an experimental prototype to a manufacturable product, marking the beginning of Apple’s emergence as a computer company.
This Apple-1 computer was examined by Apple-1 expert Corey Cohen in May 2016, with revisions to his report made in December 2025. A comprehensive, technical condition report prepared by Cohen is available to qualified bidders; he evaluates the cosmetic condition of the unit as 6.5 to 7.0. It has not been tested for functionality. The computer is recorded as #75 in the Apple-1 Registry, listed as the “Celebration” Apple-1.
The set includes:
• original Apple-1 board, distinguished as the earliest known fiberglass prototype
• vintage, period-correct Key Tronic keyboard (c. 1977)
• vintage, period-correct power supply
• vintage Sony TV set
• replica Apple-1 Operation Manual, signed in blue felt tip by Steve Wozniak
• replica Apple-1 schematic, signed in blue felt tip by Steve Wozniak